


Ice On The Bruise

by WanderingShaman



Category: Sally Face (Video Games)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Homophobic Language, Idiots in Love, Implied abuse, M/M, Slurs, Sparring, Tags Are Hard, no beta we die like men, non graphic abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-27
Updated: 2020-02-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:22:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22916917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WanderingShaman/pseuds/WanderingShaman
Summary: It started out as just sparring, a way to get out all that pent up rage. Neither of them could have ever guessed what it would become; the connection they would slowly start to feel for one another. Neither of them could have anticipated the feelings along with it and the implicit urge to protect. No longer is it just sparring, now it's something so much more.
Relationships: Larry Johnson/Travis Phelps
Comments: 12
Kudos: 36





	Ice On The Bruise

**Author's Note:**

> It's come to my attention that there's no enough love for my rarepair, so I'm here to help with that!! This was a silly idea that evolved into a monster and I hope you all enjoy!!
> 
> Warnings: Period typical homophobic language, implied abuse/ repercussions of abuse, and lots of fluff.

School has let out for the day and students are quickly filing out to go home, ready to relax for another weekend. Travis slinks to his locker, head down because he knows that there will be no relaxation. There never is. The weekends are far more stressful than the weeks leading up to them. All the school work and failed math tests in the world are nothing compared to being trapped in that house with his Father. There’s no escape, no reprieve. Just the two of them stuck together, his Mother only able to offer so much interference before she is sent away. Then it fully becomes Travis’ burden to bare.

He hates the weekends and everything associated with them. He hates listening to his Father preach and talk about how faggots like him will burn in Hell. Not that his Father knows about his sexual preference and Travis certainly never intends to tell him. His plan is still to find a nice girl, preferably a lesbian, to be with. The two of them can forge their scam of a relationship to keep each other safe and also help each other find the love they can never openly have. It isn’t necessarily a good plan, but it’s better than some girl falling for him and knowing he can never fully be with her in return.

On the weekends his Father asks him tough questions that have very specific answers. He has to play games and answer correctly or risk the man’s wrath… and he’s never been very good at games of chance.

Larry Johnson, on the other hand, lives for the weekends. They’re the one time when he doesn’t have to deal with the bullshit responsibilities of being a high school student. Homework is carelessly tossed to the side only to be looked at Sunday night when he will inevitably realize just how much he has left to do. It doesn’t matter though because that’s Sunday night Larry’s problem. Besides, good grades were never his strong suit.

First though, he has some business to attend to in the name of the blonde bully in front of him. He sees Travis trudging down the hallway, looking almost reluctant to leave. That seems weird, but Larry isn’t going to think too hard on how a bully feels. If he wanted someone to take pity on him, maybe he should consider treating others with a little more respect.

“Hey, asshole, I wanna talk to you,” Larry says. His fists are clenched at his sides, poised and ready to fight if the blonde tries anything.

Travis turns to glare at him, black eye squinting. “What do you want faggot?” The slur rolls off his tongue so easily, self hatred making it easy for him to project his own detestation onto others.

“I want to have a word with you,” Larry says. He looks around them, as if checking to see if anyone is listening. “Meet me outside to chat.”

There isn’t really any room for argument, and Travis doesn’t really feel like it anyway. He doesn’t want to go home and even though he knows this will lead to a fight, he’d rather that than whatever horrors await him in his own home. Besides, if Larry throws a punch he’s allowed to throw one right back, and there’s something cathartic about that.

“Fine.”

“See you out there,” Larry says. There’s a sneer on his face but it doesn’t look as malicious as it usually does. There’s something else hidden in there that he refuses to think too much about. Doing so will only fuel the flames and confusion that are constantly at war within him.

Travis grabs his things and goes to meet Larry out back, ready for whatever fight is about to happen. He sees the brunette leaning against the school with his arms crossed, a deep set frown etched into his features. “Johnson,” Travis says as he walks up to him. “I’m here. Now what do you want?”

The brunette uncrosses his arms and walks over to Travis. This time he doesn’t slouch, all traces of his normally laid back demeanor leaving him. “Why do you have such a stick up your ass? You punched Sal yesterday. Sal of all people. He’s been nothing but kind to you and you took it upon yourself to punch him. So why?”

He’s close now, too close. Travis can smell whatever shampoo he uses and he’ll be damned to admit it smells wonderful. Shame burns hot through him at just the thought of desiring any part of the tall brunette, but he also knows he can’t really deny it. He can’t deny the strange feelings that cause his chest to tighten and his stomach to feel like it’s full of butterflies. He hates himself for it.

Larry nudges his shoulder. “Earth to fucking Travis. Do you have anything to say for yourself or was this a waste of my time?”

Travis jerks back to the present, bringing his arms up, ready for another fight. “Why should I have to justify myself to you?”

“Because despite you punching my best friend, he still worries about you,” Larry says. He crosses his arms again. “And I hate seeing him worry over trash so I’m here to find out the truth. Do you have some sort of hate boner for him or are you really just that big of a dick?”

“I don’t have a hate boner. I’m not a fucking faggot like you,” Travis bites back. He pushes Larry out of his personal bubble. It’s too much for him to handle to have him so close. The intoxicating smell was starting to surround him and cloud his vision.

For once Larry doesn’t retaliate. Instead, a slow smile spreads across his face. “I think I hit the nail on the fucking head. You don’t have to say it though because I have a better idea that might help you out more.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Travis snarls. His hands are still up and ready to fight, his instinct to defend himself kicking in. He might not be able to do it at home, but at least here at school he can put up a fight. He can show that he isn’t weak.

“Fight me,” Larry states simply.

“Excuse me.”

“Fight me Phelps. But not that usual stuff you do. There are going to be rules, like a sparring match,” Larry says. He opens his arms to try to show he isn’t going to attack. He knows just how precarious of a position the two of them are in right now and if he doesn’t choose his words carefully, this could all be for nothing. Too bad words are another thing he’s never been particularly good with. “You need to get that energy out. All that hate. And I can take your punches.”

“So you just want me to attack you?” Travis asks incredulously. He’s starting to tense back up as he waits to find out what the catch is, or just waits for Larry to throw a punch his way.

“No. Don’t just attack me asshole,” Larry replies. “Spar with me. That means we’re both throwing punches but the intent isn’t to injure. You need to let that shit out Travis and beating up other people isn’t going to help you. It just turns you into a bigger bully and I have a feeling you don’t really want that. Sal doesn’t think you do either.”

“Maybe you’re both wrong.”

“We’re not. The fact that you’re still here proves it,” Larry says. “So c’mon. Throw a punch and let’s work out some of that anger.”

“Did Sal put you up to this?”

“No.”

That’s how it starts. At first, it’s just once a week. Every Friday before they head home for the weekend, Larry and Travis meet behind the school for their sparring match. It’s carefully orchestrated so no one actually gets hurt and Travis gets to let out that steam that just keeps building up within him. All of the anger and sadness and hurt is able to come out in a productive way; in a way that doesn’t turn him into an even bigger bully.

Best of all, they don’t talk about it. Since they aren’t really friends, they don’t have to share any of that personal stuff and get bogged down by it. Instead, they can just blow off some steam. It’s good for both of them in that way.

A month later though, Travis changes it up. “After school,” he says as he passes Larry in the hallway. It’s a Monday morning and he’s sporting a black eye and noticeable limp. Larry knows better than to say anything in the moment so instead he just nods his head to show he’ll be there.

Once the blonde walks away, Sal looks up at him, his eyes large and questioning. “What was that all about Larry Face?”

“Just a deal we have going on Sally Face,” Larry says with a sly grin.

“Weirdo,” Sal laughs. He gives a playful shove to his shoulder, laughing harder as Larry pretends to stumble from the “force” of his push. “Whatever, tell me about it when you want to.”

“I will. Promise.”

***  
  


Larry strolls back behind the school to see Travis already waiting there, head resting on his knees. There’s a tremor in his back that Larry has never seen before. Concern tugs at his mind but he has to remind himself, they aren’t friends, this isn’t something they actually talk about. This is just blowing off steam. “Hey. Ready to go?”

“Y-Yea,” Travis says. The tremor is barely there but Larry still notices it. He sees as the blonde takes a few deep breaths before finally sitting up and pushing himself to his feet. He looks unsteady and like he really doesn’t have the energy to do this. Which is why Larry is thrown off guard when he launches himself at him with a sloppy punch. It’s easy enough to block but it still alarms him.

“Woah, woah, woah,” Larry says as he catches his fist and holds it firmly. “We are not just swinging. That’s not how this works.”

“Then throw a punch back Johnson,” Travis grips out. The tension runs all the way through his body as he remains caught in Larry’s hold.

“No.”

“Do it.”

“No.”

“Do it.”

“No.”

“Fucking do it!” Travis shouts, finally starting to struggle. He wants out. He wants to fight. This is supposed to be helping him and feeling the brunette hold him is doing nothing to help how he feels inside. It’s doing nothing to help the sinful urges he tries so hard to push down.

_ Swallow it down. _

“I’m not fighting you like this. You’re going to hurt yourself,” Larry grits out. It isn’t that hard to hold him when he’s struggling like this, all flailing and no coordination. Still, it makes worry nag at his gut to see the blonde like this. They aren’t friends, but he thought they might actually get there.

“Fuck off, don’t act like you care,” he spits out. Finally he lurches away from Larry, bringing his fists back up as he readies to throw another punch. “Square up Johnson, we’re out here to spar.”

Larry just watches him as he throws another punch. This one isn’t hard to catch either, but this time he deflects it back. If Travis just wants to throw weak punches at him, he doesn’t feel inclined to keep stopping him. But he also isn’t going to fight back when he knows he could do serious damage to the other. So he waits patiently, deflecting each punch until the blonde finally tires himself out.

To Travis’ credit, it takes surprisingly long for him to actually wear himself out and he does manage a few close calls in there where it actually looks like he might hit Larry in the face. Ultimately though, he throws one final, weak punch before sinking to his knees. The shaking is back and he bites his lip hard to keep from crying. He refuses to show weakness in front of him.

“Finally,” Larry sighs. He stretches his arms out, shoulders cracking. He sits down next to Travis, close enough to reach out and touch him if the moment calls for it, but not so close that he’s worried about being in firing range. “You went for longer than I thought. Want to talk about it?”

“No.”

_ Swallow it down. _

“Okay,” Larry nods. He just sits there in silence for a few minutes before grabbing for his backpack and pulling out his sketchbook. He figures he might as well do something productive while he sits there. So he starts to sketch his surroundings and eventually lands on Travis. With a soft sigh, he sketches out the hunched form of the blonde as well, taking time to shade it properly instead of just rushing through it. A blush dusts his cheeks as he looks down at the care he just put into his drawing.

He’s so entrapped by the sight of what he put on the paper that he doesn’t notice Travis look over at him, nor does he see his eyes cast down at the paper. A blush adorns his cheeks but he pushes it down. “You’re such a fucking faggot.”

That startles Larry out of his reverie and he tenses. “And here I thought maybe you had changed.” He closes the sketchbook aggressively and grabs his things. “Get bent Phelps.”

Larry stalks back towards the school before Travis spurs into action. “Wait!” he shouts. Larry turns and for the briefest moment he thinks that maybe things are about to change between the two of them. “We’re still on for Friday!”

He refuses to let the blonde see how his expression falls, so he steels himself and turns back around, offering a nice one finger salute. There’s no way he’s giving an answer to that and if Travis wants to do this badly enough he knows where to find him.

Travis buries his head back in his knees, shoulders shaking as he fights to hold back the tears that threaten to fall. He doesn’t want to cry over this, but thinking that he ruined the one good thing in his life sucks. This was the one time he could actually be productive and get all his anger, frustration, and sadness out. He wasn’t hurting people anymore; he was just channeling it into this. But now he thinks it’s all over. He ruined it and it’s his own damn fault. “Fuck.”

_ Swallow it down. _

***  
  


“So you were sparring with him?” Sal asks curiously. The two of them are sitting up in the treehouse passing a blunt back and forth, a favorite pastime for when they need to take the edge off. Larry does it to lessen the stress of his mind while Sal uses it to distract him from the pain.

“Yea. I thought it would help him be less of a dick,” Larry growls, taking a long drag. “Turns out I was wrong though. People don’t change.”

Sal bites his torn lower lip. “He did change some though. He hasn’t bullied anyone all month. I think you were helping him.”

“Well I’m done helping him.”

Sal pulls his mask back down, a telltale sign that he doesn’t want Larry to read his expressions. It hurts when he does it because it usually means disappointment is involved. “Lar, all he did was say one thing to you. He’s done so much worse in the past. Why is this so different?”

“Don’t try to read my mind Sally Face,” Larry says warningly.

“I wouldn’t dream of it. I’m trying to talk to you about it,” he replies. The damn mask is still in place though so it’s far harder to tell what he’s actually thinking. He’s far too good at guarding his expressions when he actually wants to. Larry didn’t think he would ever feel the need to do it in front of him though.

“No you aren’t. You’re playing therapist and reading into something that isn’t there. So cut it out,” Larry replies. His mood is quickly turning even more sour as his stomach churns uncomfortably. He doesn’t want to upset Sal but it seems his bad mood prevents him from actually thinking before he speaks.

Sal’s shoulders slump and he moves to place a hand on his shoulder. “Fine. I’m sorry. But you’re not just upset about some slur.”

Larry shrugs, unwilling to elaborate on it. This time Sal doesn’t push.

***  
  


Friday comes and Travis feels like he might very well bubble over with how much nervous energy he has. He wants to ask about sparring. He wants to know if he fucked everything up. And if he did, he thinks he might actually want to apologize for it. Their Friday sparring matches were one of the only things he actually had to look forward to in his life, and having possibly fucked that up is killing him inside.

It’s almost lunch time before he finally gets his answer. As he’s walking down the hall, his arm is grabbed and he’s pulled down a much more deserted hallway by the brunette. His fight reflex almost kicks in, but when he sees who it is he visibly relaxes under the touch. Now that the threat of having to fight the brunette for real is gone, he finds himself almost enjoying the close proximity to him.

Realizing his ease at being touched by the other, his eyes widen and he quickly pulls away. “What do you want?” he asks, guard instantly going back up.

“Stand down,” Larry practically commands. “I came to tell you we could still spar. But one more strike and I’m done. You don’t get to throw around words like that towards my friends or me. Are we clear?”

“Fine,” Travis says. The fight leaves him again as his shoulders slump. He’s so grateful he didn’t ruin everything that he can’t even keep his guard up. At this moment he can’t even bring himself to care that Larry is seeing him vulnerable… again.

“Meet me in the usual spot. And this time try to actually throw some punches instead of whatever weak willed shit you did last time,” Larry says. He stuffs his hands back into his pockets and walks off, not bothering to ask him about his change in demeanor. He has to keep reminding himself that they aren’t friends. The two of them don’t care about each other and there’s no reason for him to start now. That much was proven to him on Monday.

Travis just stands there, deflated and empty feeling. His arm burns where Larry touched it and it makes him want to scratch the offending skin off. He doesn’t though. He doesn’t touch that spot and the warmth soon fades, leaving a pleasant tingle that he feels through the rest of his classes. Every time he focuses on it butterflies swarm in his stomach and he doesn’t know whether he wants to scream or celebrate or be sick. He knows what this feeling means and he doesn’t want to accept it one bit. It doesn’t help that Sal of all people is shooting him strange glances, as if sizing him up, measuring him against some invisible scale. He wants to fire back some scalding comment but the fear that Larry will end this keeps his lips sealed.

School can’t end soon enough and he rushes behind the building, getting there as the last bell of the day is still ringing. He starts stretching, determined to make up for the last time. He doesn’t notice as Larry comes up to him, doesn’t notice when he stops to stare at where his shirt pulls up, exposing a toned stomach that comes from years of athletics. He doesn’t notice until it’s too late and he practically jumps out of his skin. “Shit!” He falls off balance, landing on his butt with a painful thump.

“You okay man?” Larry asks. Somehow he manages to sound calm and offers a hand to pull Travis up, his own muscles rippling from the movement. The blonde’s eyes catch on them before they lock eyes with each other. “Today will be different,” Larry says and there’s no room for argument. Not that he really wants to argue anyway.

Travis stumbles a bit as he stands, still caught off guard by what just happened. “Sure. You ready?”

“I’m always ready,” Larry replies cockily. He squares up and once again Travis falters. He can’t believe that doing this is affecting him so much but it definitely is. It’s definitely giving him very unchristian thoughts. Again, the urge to scream or celebrate or be sick comes flooding back to him. He pushes it aside though. As far as he’s concerned, he has more important things to take care of now.

Travis winds back and throws a well aimed punch at him but Larry deflects it easily. The intent to hurt might be gone, but the strength is still there all the same. At least the two of them are well matched in that regard, both having developed some rather impressive arm muscles over the course of the last year.

The two continue on like that until both are heaving and Travis finally collapses to the ground. “Done,” he huffs, panting hard as he reaches for his bottle of water. “That was good.”

“Yea, that felt good,” Larry says, collapsing down beside him. “Thanks for not being a dick today.”

Travis looks down before softly muttering, “I’m sorry.”

“What?”

“I’m sorry I was a fucking dick,” he huffs. Apologizing is uncharacteristic of him, but everything about this feels uncharacteristic so why not take it just one step further. “The picture was nice okay.”

Larry smiles, looking softer around the edges than he has any of the other times they’ve interacted. “I’m glad you liked it.”

“Why’d you draw it?” he asks, pushing one step further. He can’t deny that he’s curious about why Larry would choose to immortalize him on paper.

“I wanted to,” Larry replies simply. “And you looked different. You weren’t so harsh.” He reaches over and softly puts his hand on Travis’ shoulder. 

He’s half tempted to push the hand off because that burning sensation is back, sending tingles down to his fingertips. It makes him blush and seethe at the same time. “Yea well, it was a shitty day.”

Silence rings out between them as both of them debate whether this line is going to be crossed. Either of them can speak out on it and bridge the gap. Suddenly this arrangement could turn into a tentative friendship. This could turn into them actually caring for each other.

“What happened?” Larry asks, making the decision for them. At this point he’s invested enough that he wants to know, and as much as he hates to admit it, he actually cares.

“If you tell anyone I’ll make you regret it,” Travis threatens. There’s no anger in his words though and it shows Larry a glimpse of the boy who hides beneath the anger. It makes him realize that he made the right decision by asking.

“I won’t tell.”

“I fucked up and paid the price,” Travis replies simply. “I’m a sinner and an abomination and have to repent.”

Larry whips around at that, his eyes angry and hard. It’s not at Travis though, it’s at the man who could so carelessly lay his hands on his own son. His hand tightens on Travis’ shoulder, a strange protectiveness taking over him. This guy he used to absolutely hate he now feels the urge to keep safe. “That’s fucked up. You aren’t those things you know, a sinner or an abomination. You were an asshole but even that has stopped.”

Travis brushes his hand off now, anger taking over. “You don’t know anything. Don’t pretend like you do.”

“Then tell me!” Larry near shouts. He moves forward, grabbing his arm again, this time holding on. “If you can’t tell anyone else, tell me…”

Travis stares at him in the silence of his proclamation. The fire burns down his arm and up to his shoulder, filling his stomach with those uncomfortable butterflies he hates so much. He stares at the brunette looking at him so earnestly and like he really cares. He’s the first person to give more than a passing shit about him. And now he’s going to fuck it all up.

He pushes forward, pressing their lips together. Their teeth clash uncomfortably but he doesn’t care. He just cares about kissing Larry this one time before it’s all ruined forever.

Several seconds of sloppy kissing pass before Larry brings his other hand up. At first Travis thinks he’s going to be pushed away, punched, and screamed at. But instead Larry is pushing him down on the soft grass, leaning over him to keep their lips connected. He starts to move his hands, scratching down the blonde’s sides.

Travis gasps into the kiss, bringing his arms up to wrap around Larry’s neck, keeping them pressed together. Not that either of them really want to stop. Now that they’ve started, emotions they thought they repressed are bubbling to the surface. Larry is the first to let out a soft moan, moving to dot kisses down the other’s neck. That gets the other moaning as well and he starts to scratch down his back.

Time passes in a weird way as the two of them stay locked together. Larry pulls back for a moment, intending to admire the way the blonde has flushed beneath him, but it’s at that time that Travis finally realizes just  _ what _ they’ve been doing. “What the fuck was that?”

Larry looks at him in shock. “You were the one who kissed me asshole.”

“Do it again,” Travis says, commanding him even as he lays trapped beneath him.

It doesn’t matter though because Larry bends to his will easily, leaning down and kissing him softly. It can almost be mistaken as a sweet gesture but surely that can’t be the case. There’s no way that this can possibly mean anything to him.

“Again,” Travis says when they break apart and once again those sweet lips kiss him. He keeps repeating that one word over and over again and eventually Larry stops coming back up for air and let’s Travis whisper it against his lips. He says it like a mantra, fearing that once he stops, it’ll all be over. Larry will hate him; they’ll never talk again.

Tears pool in his eyes at just the thought that he wrecked the only good thing in his life. The one thing that was keeping him sane amidst all the misery that has plagued him from birth is coming to an end and he was the one to pull the trigger. He did this to himself and doesn’t even deserve to mourn.

“Hey, Trav, what’s going on?” Larry asks as they break apart and he finally notices the tears leaking out from his closed eyes. He brings a calloused hand up to gently wipe them away but more just flow down to take their place.

“I’m a sinner,” he whispers, eyes still shut tight.

“For what?”

“For this.”

That’s when Larry becomes aware of their arousal. He knew before that, but it really seals the deal as to why Travis is so upset. “This doesn’t make you a sinner.”

“In the eyes of God it does.”

“Isn’t God supposed to love everyone?” Larry asks. He has barely any religious knowledge, but he does remember hearing that a long time ago. “He wouldn’t make people like us if he didn’t love them.”

“I’m not like you.”

“Yes, you are,” Larry insists. He wipes away more of the tears, bending to kiss him. “You are and it’s okay. Look, you didn’t burst into flames. There’s nothing wrong with being like this. There’s nothing wrong with feeling like this.”

Travis turns his head to the side. He can feel Larry’s hand shift to continue cupping his cheek. “This is sick, it’s not right.”

Larry sits back then, pulling Travis up with him. “It’s not sick or wrong. But if you want to pretend this never happened then fine. We can pretend until you’re ready to admit it Travis.” His heart breaks suggesting that, his own feelings for the blonde quickly approaching the breaking point, but he knows what it’s like in the closet and he can only imagine how much worse it is for Travis. 

“What’s the catch? Did you take a picture or something for insurance?” he asks suspiciously.

Larry’s eyes instantly turn sad. “There’s no catch Travis,” he whispers. “If you aren’t ready, you aren’t ready. I’m not going to force you.” He grabs the other’s hands in his own and gently runs his thumbs over the backs of them. “Just… don’t throw slurs at us anymore. That’s all I ask. And in return… we’re here for you. If you want to try this out,  _ I’m _ here for you.”

“Try what out?” Travis asks.

“Us.”

“Kiss me again,” he demands. Larry leans forward instantly to kiss him. “I’m… I’m not ready to try this. And I don’t know that I’ll ever be ready.”

Larry shrugs. “Fine. You can stay not ready and at least have friends.” He brings his hand up to cup his cheek. “What do you want to do now Trav?” The nickname rolls off his tongue and both of them pause to blush at it. It’s far more intimate than either of them were expecting.

“I think I have to go home now,” Travis says. “But I’d like to keep sparring. This is freeing.”

“Just sparring?”

“Just sparring.”

“Okay Trav.” And with one more kiss, Larry climbs off him. “I’ll see you Monday then. And we can spar anytime you want.”

***  
  


Something changes in their dynamic then. Travis is no longer afraid to go ask him to spar, no matter what day it is, and Larry always agrees no matter what else he might have going on. At first it really is just sparring. He needs to let it all out somehow, and if this is the only way he can justify being close to Larry then he’s more than willing to take it.

Eventually something shifts again though. Travis pushes a little too hard, his followthrough putting him right in Larry’s space. They both freeze in place, eyes and hands locked. Then, a moment later, their lips are locked too and they’re falling over onto the grass. Larry still manages to land on top of him because of course he does. Travis is too far past caring to do anything about it though. He just wants to feel the other’s lips on his own. He wants those sweet and addictive kisses that he’s dreamed about one too many times.

Things are different after that. Sometimes they meet to spar, sometimes they meet for a very different type of stress relief. Travis doesn’t even care which it is though. Any time he spends with the brunette makes him happy and gives him something to look forward to. It’s their little secret.

Or at least, he thought it was their little secret. Then Sal flops down next to him one lunch, looking way too chipper. “Hi Travis.”

“Sally Face.”

“Oh come on, you can be friendlier than that. You’re practically in the group,” he replies, smile evident in his voice.

Travis looks up in confusion and catches eyes with Larry, who instantly looks away. “You know.”

“Of course I do. We’re best friends. I can tell when something is different about him,” Sal replies calmly. “And he’s been in a way better mood lately. Also, I never see him anymore because he’s always “sparring” with you.”

“What do you want?” Travis grits out. This has to be some sort of revenge for all the times he’s hit Sal. This is the way he’s getting back at him, by outting him to everyone. Apparently the moment they shared in the bathroom was just a farce. He always knew it was and now he’s about to get confirmation in the worst possible way. He wouldn’t be surprised if Larry has been in on it this entire time. He made both of their lives miserable for so long; he deserves this.

“-vis. Travis, hey, Travis,” Sal says, waving a hand in front of his face. The blonde startles back to reality, wondering if he missed the announcement or something. But instead all he sees is the concern in Sal’s eyes as he leans way too close to him. “Oh good, you’re back. You went somewhere for a second there.”

“What did you do?” Travis asks, his voice wavering for a moment. He’s scared, so, so very scared.

“Well, I asked if you wanted to join us for lunch,” Sal says. He gestures with his head over to the table the rest of his friends are sitting at. “And then I was going to threaten you if you ever hurt my best friend. I’ll kick you in the kneecaps or something.”

“Sit with you…?” he asks in confusion.

“Yea. Come sit with us. Just because you’re keeping it a secret doesn’t mean we all can’t be friends.”

He meets eyes with Larry who smiles hopefully at him. That does it then. He stands up and walks stiffly next to Sal over to the table. Out of fear of being too obvious, he doesn’t sit next to Larry, instead opting to sit between Sal and Maple. That seems like the lease offensive choice. Though apparently some people are still offended as Ash turns her entire body away from him to talk loudly to Todd about “unwanted guests.”

Larry looks down sadly but Sal is in no way afraid to speak up, even when going against his friends. “Be nice. I asked Travis to join us.”

She turns back with a glare but doesn’t make any other comments. It isn’t lost on him how most of their tablemates leave earlier than normal that day, leaving just Sal, Larry, and Travis sitting at the table. Larry looks so small, hunched in on himself and Sal just looks disappointed. “They’ll come around,” he says. “Rome wasn’t built in a day.”

“What’s this about?” Travis asks, feeling very much out of sorts.

“Thought you might like to join us,” Larry mumbles. “Turns out I was wrong.” He stands up, grabbing his tray. “I’m gonna go too. Cya later.” 

“Do all of them know?” Travis hisses, horrified at the prospect.

“No,” Sal replies simply. “They know that you and Larry are friends though. I told them we were friends too. They weren’t too happy about it but they’ll come around eventually. I know they will. They just have to see the other side of you. The one you’re showing Larry and what you showed me in the bathroom.”

“You’re meddling,” Travis accuses him.

“I’m trying to do what’s right,” Sal fires back calmly. “Larry likes you and I think you’ve come a long way. You still make mistakes but those have been a lot less since you started your little arrangement with Larry. We both agreed we want the others to see that side of you too. You deserve for others to see that side of you.”

“Does Larry know you’re doing this?”

“Yes. I talked to him about it last night,” Sal nods. “He wants this too. Even if your situation never goes past what it is now, he wants you to feel included in the group. He cares about you.” Sal pauses a moment, focusing in on him and holding his gaze uncomfortably. “I still am legally obligated to inform you that if you hurt him I’m coming for you.”

“Reassuring.”

Sal’s face brightens, his eyes crinkling to show he’s smiling. “Just something I’m required to do. Now come on Travy, let’s get to math class.”

The loud groan that escapes the blonde makes Sal snort as he pulls him in the direction of his most dreaded class. It’s even harder to focus than usual though as thoughts of the brunette swirl in his head. He knew Larry liked him because of course he did, but to hear his best friend actually confirm those feelings somehow just took it to the next level. It made the entire situation so much more  _ real _ than it was before. It makes him feel bad too because he will always be hiding in the shadows and keeping secrets and Larry doesn’t deserve that.

Those thoughts and guilt swirl in his mind for the rest of the school day until he finds himself walking on autopilot to their meeting spot. Today they were supposed to meet up but for once the brunette is nowhere in sight. Travis lets out a soft sigh before flopping down on the ground. He can wait around a little while before it’s safe to assume he’s not coming.

After 20 minutes of waiting he figures it’s time to leave when Larry slowly comes into view. He still looks hunched, like he’s trying to make himself seem as small as possible. “Sorry m’late,” he mutters as he sits down beside him, still a respectful distance apart.

Travis shrugs. “It’s not a big deal. I was reading.”

“You still want to spar?” Larry asks tiredly.

“Not really,” Travis says. They lapse into silence for a few minutes before Travis takes a deep breath and reaches out to take Larry’s hand, twining their fingers together. “Is this about lunch?”

“No… yes…. Maybe…,” Larry sighs. He tightens his hold on Travis’ hand. “I wanted you to join us. I didn’t think they would be that against it.”

“You don’t have to include me,” Travis offers, thinking that’s the right choice. He doesn’t want to cause problems for Larry; he cares about him far too much for that.

Larry pulls his hand away then, curling in on himself. “Right. You don’t want this. This was stupid.” He grabs his bag and stands up to leave. 

“Larry wait!” Travis shouts. He grabs the other’s hand and pulls him back. “I didn’t mean it like that. I said it because I don’t want to cause problems between you and your friends, not because I don’t want to spend time with you. I  _ like _ spending time with you. I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t.” Then he leans up to gently kiss him.

They share sweet kisses with each other before Larry finally pulls back, tears in his eyes. This time Travis is the one to wipe them away. “I can’t keep doing this Trav. I like you too much to just hook up.”

“I like you too,” Travis admits, cheeks burning. Still, admitting it out loud feels cleansing almost. It’s like his soul is finally being freed from the secret he’s been guarding for so long. “This was never just a stupid hook up. It was feelings I didn’t want to admit I had.”

“Do you… do you want to be with me…?” Larry asks hopefully.

Travis deflates a little. “I can’t be public about it.”

“I don’t care about that,” Larry says. “It can be our secret. We can keep doing things like this but maybe you can also come over sometimes, hang out with me and maybe Sal sometimes too. Maybe you can even meet Ma. She knows about you. She likes you already Trav.”

His cheeks glow red at the excitement from the other. “One step at a time. Slow, like before.”

“Come over next week?” Larry asks hopefully. “I can ask Ma for some space because you’re nervous. She knows you’re not out so she’ll be understanding. She’s amazing like that.”

Travis smiles softly, cheeks still glowing bright red. “It’s a date.”

***  
  


“What do people usually do on dates?” Travis asks as he sits uncomfortably on Larry’s bed. He has his hands folded on his lap and his back is ramrod straight. Somehow this feels a lot more uncomfortable than their usual spar and make out sessions. This just feels so official, like everything is suddenly all the more real.

Larry sits next to him, taking his hand gently in his own. “Well, I thought we could have a nice dinner and then maybe watch a movie. It’s kinda cliche but I thought maybe something cliche would be fun for you.” He looks shy in his button down and non-ripped jeans. He even managed to wrangle his hair into a high ponytail for the occasion. It makes Travis want to tug him down with it. He refrains though, knowing that there will probably be time for that later. At least, he hopes there will be time for that later.

“All of that would happen here right?” he asks nervously.

“Yea,” Larry smiles. “The food is all made and I have lots of movies for us to pick from. I-I hope you’ll like it.”

Travis relaxes some then, reaching to take Larry’s hand in his own. “I think I will. Thank you Lar, for all this.”

“I didn’t do much. And now that that stick is out of your ass, you’re really amazing Trav,” he jokes lightly.

“Asshole,” the blonde laughs. “I’m leaving. I didn’t come here to be insulted.”

That breaks the tension and then the two of them are laughing. They come together for a sweet kiss and for once have no reason to worry that they will be spotted. They have complete and total privacy to just be with each other. Soft kisses are shared between the two on the bed, over dinner, and during the movie. Then they fall back into bed again, cuddling and holding hands and just being with each other, existing in the same space in peace.

Travis can’t help himself though, because good things never last forever and it’s almost as if he would rather control his own demise than wait for it to inevitably come to him. “Is this enough for you?” he asks in the quiet of the night. Soon he’ll have to go home to his actual reality though.

Larry leans forward to kiss his forehead. “Yea. Maybe not forever, but for now it is. I know you can’t be out Travis. It would be shitty of me to force you out knowing what could happen to you.”

“It almost feels like you give a shit,” Travis laughs softly.

“Wow, what a crazy thought, I actually care about my boyfriend,” Larry fires back with a far less dignified sounding laugh. He pulls Travis in for another kiss, this one far more searing and filled with emotion. “One day we can be free and open, but until that day comes, I’m just happy to have you in my life.”

“You loser,” Travis smiles. His blush gives him away though. He loves this so much. He loves feeling needed, feeling  _ wanted _ by someone. “I’m glad you convinced me to spar with you.”

Silence passes between then for a few moments before Larry asks, “Can I talk to Sal about stuff? He already knows and he’s my best friend. He won’t tell anyone and he wants us to work out.”

“Yea. Just don’t tell the others yet,” Travis says. “Three people knowing is more than enough.”

“Four people. Ma knows too,” Larry grins. “She really wants to meet you Trav. She doesn’t know everything, but she knows your Dad is a piece of shit so I think she just wants to adopt you. She practically adopted Sal since his Dad works so much and kinda isn’t always there. You can just join our little family.”

Instead of responding, Travis just hugs him tightly, hiding his face in his neck. The idea of a family of his own is almost too much for him to bear. He’s wanted something like this for so long and finally the opportunity is here. Finally he might be able to have friends, family, a motherlike figure who actually gives a shit about him. He finally might get to experience his wildest dreams coming true.

“Shhh, it’s okay,” Larry coos softly, running his hands up and down his back to soothe the shaking of his shoulders. “You’re never gonna be alone again Trav. Never.”

***  
  


Things are easier after that, for both of them. Larry feels happy, truly happy, for the first time since he met Sal. There’s a weight off his shoulders as he recognizes that he’s actually doing something good for someone; he’s the person someone cares about most of all. And for Travis, things just feel lighter. Even though his home life still has that same intensity as before, it doesn’t feel as daunting because he knows that he has a place to go. There’s someone waiting for him who doesn’t care how damaged and broken he is. He just accepts Travis for who he is, cracks and all.

It still hurts sometimes though. Larry can’t help but seethe when he sees Travis come to school with a fresh bruise on his eye, cradling his arm protectively against his side. He looks so worn down. Now that the angry facade has been dropped it’s clear to see how tired and run down he is.

“Trav…,” Larry whispers. His hand comes up to cup his cheek but he freezes before slowly lowering it and swallowing down his protective instincts.

“Don’t,” Travis mutters. “I don’t want to think about it.”

So they don’t talk about it for the rest of the day. Larry sits in class worrying, horrified at what must have occured over the weekend while Travis tries to forget the pain he feels. He tries to forget the glances he gets from people, some pitying, others believing him to deserve it for how shitty he used to be. It wears him down even more and by the end of the day it feels like his skin is made out of paper and his bones fragile glass. He feels like any more pressure and he’s going to break.

He goes to their meeting spot. He needs this today. But of course today isn’t going to go like that; of course he’s going to be pushed to his breaking point. Because Ashley Campbell is waiting there for him with her arms crossed over her chest and one hip cocked to the side.

He gets it. He knows he deserves her distrust for all the things he’s done. He’s called her so many cruel names and even attacked her friends. So it’s only fair that she distrust him now. It just sucks that today is the day she’s determined to confront him on it. The one day he just needs his lover to hold him and tell him things are going to get better is the one day she wants to start a fight.

“Travis,” she states simply.

“What do you want Ash?” he asks tiredly.

Her gaze softens at that. “Are you okay?”

“Ash, just tell me what you want to. I don’t want to do this today,” Travis sighs. He sits down heavily on the grass, unable to keep himself standing any longer. This day just needs to be over.

“You really have changed,” Ash replies. She takes a seat in front of him, watching Travis with kind eyes. “You guys really are friends and it’s actually okay.”

Travis opens his mouth to reply but that’s when Larry comes running up, completely focused on his boyfriend. “Sorry I’m late!” he calls as he flops down next to Travis, pulling the blonde protectively to his side and pressing a soft kiss to his temple.

“I’m gonna go ahead and guess the two of you are more than just friends,” Ash comments. 

The brunette jumps and looks to her with worried eyes. “Shit. Ash. I wasn’t trying to hide it we jus-”

She holds up a hand to cut him off. “I don’t care Lar. You two seem to really care about each other.”

“More than anything,” Larry replies immediately. He’s still holding Travis close, allowing the blonde to curl into him more and keep his face hidden.

In the safety of Larry’s arms and hearing the kind words is the thing that finally does it. A few stray tears leak out of his eyes as his shoulders begin to shake. He finally breaks under the pressure of all his emotions, all the stress, everything. He shakes and cries softly in the arms of his lover.

“Hey, hey Trav,” Larry says softly. “Shhh, it’s okay Trav. You’re okay. I’m right here.” He starts to gently rub his back as he whispers soothing things into his ear. Ash excuses herself to give them their privacy as they work through whatever just happened. Once they’re alone Travis breaks, crying more openly into his arms. Larry just holds him and keeps whispering softly to him.

There’s no telling how long they sit there behind the school in the little alcove they’ve carved out for themselves. But Larry never stops whispering to him, reminding him that he’s here and he cares. Eventually he starts to piece himself back together, the cracks filling in slowly but surely. It’s never going to be as strong as all the times before, but it’s all he can do to try to hold himself together until he can hopefully one day escape. He hopes and prays to one day escape.

“You’re okay,” Larry whispers. He presses a kiss to the top of his head.

His soft sobs turn to sniffles and eventually stop altogether save for the occasional tremor. It’s as close as he’s going to come to pulling himself back together so he slowly lifts his head up to look at Larry. “It’s been a shitty day.”

“Do you want to come over and have a less shitty night?” Larry asks. He wipes away the remnants of his tears, kissing each of his cheeks.

“Yea. That would be great,” Travis smiles. He leans forward to kiss Larry one more time before gathering up his things and following him to Addison Apartments. The walk is blessedly short and the apartments feel oddly homey as he steps back inside of them. Although Larry always complains about how creepy they are and Sal talks about hauntings, Travis feels none of that. He feels welcomed there, like he’s surrounded by something positive.

“Ma is home, but it’s okay. She likes you and she’ll take care of you,” Larry says. He pushes open the door to their apartment and the smells that flow out assault both of their senses. Whatever Mrs. Johnson is cooking smells like Heaven on Earth. “Hi Ma!” Larry calls into the kitchen.

“Hey Larbear,” she smiles, stepping over to the livingroom. That’s when she catches sight of Travis and her eyes widen before she smiles at him. “Hello, might this be the famous Travis I’ve heard so much about?”

“Yea,” Larry says with a dopey grin. It’s the same grin that makes Travis’ heart flutter and butterflies take up residence in his stomach.

“Hi Mrs. Johnson. I hope I’m not intruding,” he says apologetically. 

“No friend of Larry’s will ever intrude,” Lisa smiles. “Especially not one I know is so special to him.”

“Maaa,” the brunette whines. 

“Oh hush. Don’t pretend you haven’t told me things.” She comes fully into the room to kiss her son on the temple. “He gushes about you. Now, come on in and get settled and please, just call me Lisa. I’ve never been one for formalities.”

He looks nervous as Larry ushers him more fully into the livingroom. It’s like their first date all over again: he doesn’t know what to do with his hands or how to act. He wants to make a good first impression but it seems so impossibly daunting for him now. “Relax,” Larry whispers in his ear. “She loves you.” Some of the tension leaves his shoulders and he looks up as Larry chatters to his Mom. “I’m gonna help Travis get settled and check out his eye.”

“Grab the peas in the freezer. Better than any ice pack,” Lisa offers. Larry hurries to grab them and she reaches out a hand to gently touch his shoulder. “You’re always safe here Travis.”

“Thank you Miss… Lisa,” he replies softly just as Larry comes hurrying back into the room.

“Be out for dinner!” he calls as he drags Travis off.

“Behave!” Lisa shouts back to them, making Travis feel like his face is going to light itself on fire.

Larry pushes him into the bathroom and onto the toilet before flopping down hard on his knees in front of him and kissing him hard. “I wanted to do that since this morning,” he whispers against the others lips. “Every time I saw you I just wanted to drag you into the bathroom, make sure you were okay, and just kiss you.”

Travis smiles softly. “You’re a fucking loser Larry.”

“I don’t care. I’ll always be a loser for you.”

With practiced ease, Larry helps him with the cuts and bruises from the night before, kissing each one as he cleans them and never letting Travis forget just how much he cares. It sends a jolt through him when Larry kisses his thigh, still sitting on his knees in front of him. Thoughts come to his mind and he has to will himself to stop thinking them or he knows it will become very obvious. He can’t hold back the soft moan though. Larry just looks up and smiles. “Did I do something you like?”

“Shut up.”

He kisses the spot again and again Travis lets out that breathy moan that means he’s into it. “I’ll keep that in mind for the future.”

Travis blushes as he brings his uninjured leg out to kick at him. “Pervert.”

“I’m not a pervert for wanting to do more than just kiss my boyfriend,” Larry fires back. “In fact, I have a feeling you want more too. But we can take our time with that. We have all the time in the world.” He presses one last kiss to that spot before helping him up. “C’mon, dinner is probably almost ready. You can help me set the table.”

For a moment Travis stays seated, keeping Larry from leaving. “What if I can’t do that stuff yet?”

Larry smiles at him, taking a step back so he can kiss him. “Easy, that just means we don’t do that stuff yet. We’re going at the pace we feel comfortable with and if one of us isn’t okay with something then we just wait until they are. I’m sure there’s gonna be stuff you’re down with that I’m not ready for.”

“You really mean that?” 

“Yea,” Larry nods. “Besides, me and my hand are getting pretty acquainted while we wait,” he says with a wink.

Travis blushes absolutely scarlet and stands up to playfully shove him. “Oh gross. I don’t want to hear about you and your hand.”

Larry laughs as he stumbles out of the bathroom with Travis hot on his heels. The icepack is still pressed to his eye but he looks so much happier than he did this morning. He  _ feels _ so much happier than he did this morning. Lisa laughs at their antics and his heart soars. Here he is in this home that’s loving, accepting, and allows him to just be him. There are no expectations for him to be something he’s not and he doesn’t feel like he’s walking on eggshells with every breath he takes.

Dinner is the most normal thing he could ever imagine and he could nearly cry because of it. Lisa and Larry crack jokes and lean their elbows on the table. They don’t worry about formalities and there’s no hesitation to pile more food onto their plates. The food itself is delicious too and Travis finds himself shyly asking for seconds, something he would never dream of doing at home. Everything about this dinner is out of the ordinary and it fills him with so much love.

“Do you want to stay the night?” Larry asks hopefully as they clean the dishes. He didn’t want to clean them but Travis offered and now he’s stuck here doing it. It means more time with Travis though, so that’s not so bad.

“I can’t,” Travis sighs. “I’ve been out late enough as it is.”

“Do you want to stay forever?” Larry asks. “We can keep you safe here. You’ll never get hurt again.”

“I can’t.”

“Be safe,” he whispers with a gentle kiss.

“Now I have a reason to try.”

***  
  


It takes years, long and painful years, but it’s all worth it for the two of them. It’s worth it when they stand across from each other in matching suits, hiding rings in their pockets that they can’t wait to put on each other. It’s worth it as they say their “I do’s” and kiss in front of the small crowd. It’s worth it as they dance to a beautiful love song wrapped in each others arms. It’s worth it when they fall into bed that night for the first time as newly weds.

It’s worth it.

“I love you so much,” Travis whispers. The glow of the stars shining in through the windows makes Larry look downright angelic. “You’re my angel. My patient, beautiful angel.”

“Who’s the sappy one now,” Larry smiles, his voice just as soft. “I love you too. To the moon and back and everywhere in between. For every day until the end of time I will love you.”

“Now you just sound like you’re reciting your vows again.”

“I spent a long time on them, I get to keep pulling them out,” Larry replies.

“How much of them did Sal write?” Travis asks with a grin. The two of them are still best friends even to this day and he knows that Sal played a very big part in helping to make this wedding perfect.

“I gave him all the ideas. He just made them sound pretty,” Larry huffs.

“They sounded beautiful,” Travis smiles. It’s a radiant thing his smile, big and toothy and so genuinely happy. It’s a smile that he’s slowly gotten used to and doesn’t fear showing anymore. Now he gives it freely and tries to give happiness to others in return. “The most beautiful vows. I’m the luckiest man alive.”

“Nah man, that’s me. You married a loser,” Larry winks. 

“I married the man of my dreams.”

The two of them come together for one more kiss, pressing close underneath the covers. They stay wrapped around each other in passion and sleep until the afternoon sun streams through their bedroom windows and they know that this is the future they will have for the rest of their lives.

**Fin**


End file.
